The Minnesota Vikings have brought edge rusher Jihad Ward back to their practice squad, announcing the move on Friday while releasing offensive tackle Tristan Leigh in a corresponding transaction.
At 32, Ward has become one of the more well-traveled defenders in the league since the Oakland Raiders selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft.
He was still in the third year of his original four-year contract when Oakland traded him to the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Ryan Switzer.
Dallas waived him after the 2018 preseason, and Ward subsequently spent time with the Indianapolis Colts before landing with the Baltimore Ravens, where he returned for the 2020 season on a new deal.
From there his path continued through Jacksonville, where he signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2021, and then to the New York Giants on one-year contracts in both 2022 and 2023.
He joined the Vikings for the 2024 season before spending all of 2025 on the Tennessee Titans’ active roster. Just before the 2026 regular season began, Ward signed with Minnesota’s practice squad, only to be elevated to the Giants’ active roster in early October.
The Giants released him earlier this week after he appeared in two games and recorded a single tackle.
The return to Minnesota marks another chapter in Ward’s connection with the organization. During his 2024 stint with the Vikings he played in all 17 games, contributing as a rotational piece who already had familiarity with defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme.
His 2025 season in Tennessee was more productive from a statistical standpoint, as he started a dozen games and posted multiple sacks along with strong pressure numbers.
That experience, combined with his earlier work under the Giants and Ravens coaching staffs, has made him a frequent target for teams seeking veteran edge or hybrid defensive-line depth on short notice.
For the Vikings, the addition restores a known quantity to a practice squad that already features a mix of younger developmental players and other experienced names.
Practice-squad signings of this type rarely generate major headlines, yet they often serve as low-risk ways for contending or rebuilding clubs to maintain flexible depth at positions where injuries or in-season attrition can quickly create needs.
Ward’s size and prior production in multiple defensive systems give Minnesota an option that can be elevated if the active roster’s outside linebacker or defensive-end group requires reinforcement later in the season.
Whether this latest stint remains confined to the practice squad or eventually leads to another elevation will depend on how the Vikings’ front seven holds up over the remaining weeks.
For a player who has now passed through several organizations since entering the league a decade ago, the immediate goal is simply to stay available and ready.
